Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets, on Friday, successfully destroyed an artillery piece being sneaked into Sambisa forest by insurgents.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air force, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, said the artillery piece was concealed under a tree and sighted by a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, while on daytime patrol in the Sambisa general area.

He said about seven insurgents were also observed to be moving out from under the tree.“The crew on board the ISR platform, therefore, immediately called for air strikes by NAF combat platforms. Following the alert, one Alpha Jet and one F-7Ni fighter aircraft were scrambled for air interdiction on the artillery piece. The Alpha Jet and F-7Ni strikes were observed to have hit the target. Thereafter, the Alpha Jet strafed the area with rockets and the location of the artillery piece was completely engulfed in an inferno. Subsequently, Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) footage by a NAF ISR aircraft revealed that the strikes were successful, as the artillery piece was neutralised,” he said.

Adesanya said with the successful attacks, attempts by the remnants of the insurgents to reinforce their capability with the artillery piece were thwarted.

Similarly, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin, on Friday, enjoined new naval ratings to support and be loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

Olonishakin gave the task at the passing out parade (POP) of batch 25 trainees of the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS), Onne in Rivers.